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The Effects of Ayahuasca on People Suffering from Depression and Anxiety

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic brew made of the Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis plants. Although you could probably manage to boil everything together and make some sort of brew, it’s best that you don’t if you aren’t really sure what you’re doing.

The tea made from these two plants is incredibly strong. It can induce hallucinations, visions, strong emotions, and even a physical purge. This is all thanks to a powerful compound called DMT. Ayahuasca has been known to bring emotional, physical, and spiritual healing to people all around the world. Before you give it a try, however, it’s best that you know more about this fascinating brew.

What are the benefits of ayahuasca?

Despite the rather unpleasant side effects, the benefits of ayahuasca are indeed impressive. The thousands of people embarking on ayahuasca retreats only prove this point. Although many of the benefits of ayahuasca are anecdotal, the scientific community has begun to take a closer look at this substance. Experts believe that it may very well be a viable way to treat a variety of mental conditions such as addiction, depression, and anxiety. It’s no surprise, then, that ayahuasca’s reputation as a healing tea is only becoming more recognized.

So how does ayahuasca affect those suffering from depression and anxiety?

Millions of people suffer from depression. Treatment varies from medication to therapy. There may very well be one more treatment being added to the list: ayahuasca. Research has indicated that ayahuasca was able to bring forth antidepressant effects in its subjects within the first few hours. Even those who showed no response to other forms of treatment showed a response to this brew. The effects of ayahuasca lasted for quite a few weeks. It is believed that a compound called harmine may be responsible for this effect.

Anxiety is a mental disorder that commonly goes hand-in-hand with depression. Ayahuasca has shown incredible potential as a treatment option for this condition as well. Research indicates that subjects who took ayahuasca were less prone to feelings of panic, anxiety, and hopelessness within an hour!

Further research still has to be carried out on the potential benefits of ayahuasca. That being said, the studies that have been conducted up to this point have been extremely promising.

What about addiction?

There are people all over the world struggling with substance abuse. Even alcohol, legal in most parts of the world, has been known to do irreparable damage to people, families, and society at large. Psychedelics, however, are often lumped in with other drugs like heroin and cocaine. The fact of the matter is that mind-altering substances are not always harmful. People often dismiss the idea of them simply because they have yet to really learn about what they can do.

Ayahuasca does have mind-altering effects. However, it shows incredible potential as a treatment to help people overcome substance abuse. Although more research is required, some studies have indicated that subjects struggling with substance abuse have seen great progress after undergoing a couple of months of ayahuasca treatments while also having psychological therapy and living in a substance abuse retreat center. Another observational study has also found that participants reduced their reliance on alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine with the help of ayahuasca.

Are there any other health benefits?

If you aren’t suffering from depression, anxiety, or addiction, you can still benefit from ayahuasca. The fascinating mixture is known to be great for emotional, spiritual, and physical healing. It can give you wisdom and help you look at the world in a way you never did before. It may even give you a boost of creativity.

Ayahuasca takes you out of your normal way of thinking and shows you something new. Your ability to think divergently will increase, and your convergent thinking tendencies will decrease. This allows you to break out of your box and bring change to your life. If you would like to experience the healing offered by ayahuasca and are looking for a retreat to participate in, contact us today! We would love to have you along with us and play a part in your healing process.